The third room of the Casa Loma Escape Series, Station M takes a group of up to 12 (11 on this night) through the depths of the castle to uncover the mystery of the secret facility that has been shuttered since the end of the war. A harrowing adventure full of twists and turns kept us all on our toes as we became unwitting participants in a covert mission.

Upon arriving at the castle (free parking after 5 p.m.) the first task is to find the entrance: a locked door which is a short walk past the front of the castle and marked by a small sign that could easily be overlooked. After getting buzzed in and descending a flight of stairs, the somewhat makeshift lobby is set up in a spacious hallway that is decorated with posters of movies that have been filmed there as well as a screen playing some of the scenes that feature the castle. While bare of entertainment or food, the architecture inside is immediately impressive and it was a pleasure making use of their newly renovated washrooms.

Our evening began with the usual explanation of rules in a rather unusual setting. In what was originally built as a pool, a theatre has been set up where we watched a short video that lay the groundwork for the rest of the plot that would be revealed throughout the night. Using a combination of humour and storytelling, the lead-up to the actual room was entertaining and helped to build on the mysterious atmosphere.

As is the case with all the experiences at Casa Loma, we were amazed at the level of detail and quality of the rooms as everything makes you feel like you have been transported into the past. Anything you picked up felt like it was pulled out of history and all the puzzles worked seamlessly with the surroundings. We always felt like part of the story, even when we weren’t quite sure what it was about.

As we worked through the rooms, we thoroughly enjoyed the breadth and creativity displayed in the puzzles but at times felt a bit unsure of what to do, particularly earlier on in our mission. We also found that even though the total number of puzzles is quite impressive there were still times when not everyone was engaged. Nevertheless, the puzzles were logical and for the most part we were all busy searching or solving for the entire night without any serious roadblocks.

With a fast-paced and engaging storyline, strong puzzle elements, and a great host, Station M is another strong entry into the Casa Loma Escape Series. While it may be a challenge to those who are new to escape rooms, the experience is exciting and definitely another triumph from Secret City Adventures.

Final Verdict:

8.3/10

1 response

It’s a great room but be aware that the actor will not “keep you on task” if you’re behind but he/she is there to give you hints when you get stuck. I don’t think it’s a *Spoiler alert* spoiler to say that there are two large rooms and you should solve the first room in 20-25 minutes to still have time for all the tasks in the second. The set design, props and acting are all A+